The Rocket Engine That Proves Solar Thermal Propulsion Isn’t Just a Crazy Theory

This article discussed how engineers from Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory are prototyping a previously theoretical rocket architecture that could carry spacecraft to interstellar space someday. To achieve this, the research team plans to use fuel from the sun to fuel a rocket engine instead of combustion. According to the article, engineers designed the experimental solar-powered engine in the form of a flat shield made of black carbon foam—unlike a conventional engine that is mounted on a rocket’s rear end.